Savvy by Ingrid Law

“In most ways, Mibs, we Beaumonts are just like other people...We get born, and sometime later we die. And in between, we're happy and sad, we feel love and we feel fear, we eat and we sleep and we hurt like everyone else."

-Momma, Savvy

The Beaumont Family may seem like a regular family but...

"For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret.They each possess a "savvy" — a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity... and now it's the eve of Mibs's big day.

As if waiting weren't hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs's birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman's bus... only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up — and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin."

This book wasn't as light as I expected it would be. There were quite a few moments when my eyes actually teared up. D': Although the themes discussed in this book may be presented in emotional and difficult settings, the characters are good hearted and very humorous. I'm definitely going to read the "companion novel" (Scumble) and I encourage you to do the same. I warn you though, this is an easy read (again I know :)..I want to finish off the pre-teen novels that I never got to D:) so because I don't fall in the age group it's aimed at, I sadly must give this book a 8.5/10. BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY YOU SHOULDN'T TRY IT OUT!!! yeep...so enjoy :)

Trust by ME :)

I trust the dark, I trust the light.
I trust the truth, with all my might.
I trust my mom, I trust my dad.
I trust the death, it makes me sad.
I trust the seniors, I trust the juniors.
I trust the life, and it's so clever.
I trust the sticks, I trust the stones.
I trust my sleep, it won't break my bones.
I trust the words, I trust the lies.
I trust the truth, it makes me cry.
He trusts himself, she trusts herself.
You trust yourself, I'll trust myself.

My Childhood

 Although I didn't compose this poem, I read it while I was surfing the net and I found it quite neat.. just wanted to share :D




"My childhood was fun,
tough and exciting.
My childhood was one
where there wasn't much fighting.
This was my childhood.

My childhood was filled
with family and friends.
My childhood was filled
with love that tied up loose ends.
This was my childhood.

My childhood came
with a grandmother that cared.
When she left me
I remembered all the times we shared.
This was my childhood.

My childhood was filled
with classwork and homework.
My childhood was filled
with parents who hated work.
This was my childhood.

My childhood was filled
with fun in the hood,
and food that tasted like Campbell's,
'Umm Umm Good! '
This was my childhood.

My childhood was filled
with tricycles and bicycles.
My childhood was filled
with popsicles and Dill pickles.
This was my childhood.

My childhood was filled
with lots of happy holidays.
Holidays that aren't
just the same nowadays.
This was my childhood.

Now my childhood
has become nothing but memories,
But all the good times
will live on within me.
This was my childhood."

- Kiera R Lewis

All Good Children by Catherine Austen

All good Children by Catherine Austen is about a place called New Middleton in the states, where it is supposedly the safest place on earth.  In order to keep the peace, and helpe the kids become more involved in their education and obedient, they give out treatment to the children of New Middleton turning them into mindless zombies.  Maxwell Connors and his friend Dallas are left untreated but in order to avoid the treatment they have to find some way to escape.

This book was amazing, perfect 10/10, you feared for your characters so strongly, it wasn't fear for their death, but fear for the limit society wanted to put on their free will.  You experienced with your character the struggle of trying to escape a place that was trying to make you unoriginal, trying to make you just part of the mass.

Weird Illusions

Teach reflects to the word learn.

is this a duck or a rabbit?
What is the difference between a frog and a horse ? Watch.

Which one is your favorite?

Flipped by Wendelin van Draanen

"Juli Baker devoutly believes in three things: the sanctity of trees (especially her beloved sycamore), the wholesomeness of the eggs she collects from her backyard flock of chickens, and that someday she will kiss Bryce Loski. Ever since she saw Bryce's baby blues back in second grade, Juli has been smitten. Unfortunately, Bryce has never felt the same. Frankly, he thinks Juli Baker is a little weird--after all, what kind of freak raises chickens and sits in trees for fun? Then, in eighth grade, everything changes. Bryce begins to see that Juli's unusual interests and pride in her family are, well, kind of cool. And Juli starts to think that maybe Bryce's brilliant blue eyes are as empty as the rest of Bryce seems to be. After all, what kind of jerk doesn't care about other people's feelings about chickens and trees? With Flipped, mystery author Wendelin Van Draanen has taken a break from her Sammy Keyes series, and the result is flipping fantastic. Bryce and Juli's rants and raves about each other ring so true that teen readers will quickly identify with at least one of these hilarious feuding egos, if not both. A perfect introduction to the adolescent war between the sexes."

This amazing novel is told in two different perspectives. Bryce and Juli takes turns ranting on about each others lives between chapters. I love how the novel is written in this format because you can see both protagonist's views and attitudes throughout the whole storyline. I would recommend this novel to anyone, it is a light read and you can probably finish it in no time. There isn't anything super dramatic that throws the story off, but everything seems to fit in and it's just..perfect. :P Rating: 9/10

The Underneath By Kathi Appelt

“It's a soft-sounding word, 'never,' but its velvety timbre can't hide its sharp edges...Never pressed down on him. It grabbed him by the neck and shook him. He sucked in a deep breath, sucked in all that never and started to sneeze. Never filled his nose, his eyes, his soaking fur.” 

― Kathi Appelt, The Underneath

To start my summer reading off, I chose something simple. I've heard many reviews praising this "heartwarming book". Boy was I surprised when I began reading it...

The cover of this book shows a sweet old dog and his two kitten friends. You may immediately think, "Aww, poor animals! They seem so tired and bored." STOP with those biased conclusions. The Underneath, however childish it may seem, is one of the most moving books I've ever read.

                  The Underneath is the place under the porch. It serves as a refuge for the cat family (Puck, Sabine and Mom) and their dog friend, Ranger. To venture from The Underneath is dangerous because of Gar Face, Ranger's owner and ex-hunting partner. When Puck and his mother by Gar Face, loyalty and trust are put to the test. Sabine must keep hidden from Gar Face while finding ways to feed herself and the chained Ranger, not knowing if she'll ever see her brother and mother again. 


"The chapters are short, which sets up a fast-paced rhythm to the book.  Chapters shift back and forth between the characters and in time.  This adds anticipation and intrigue as the various sub-plots build.  The histories of the ancient characters of a snake and an alligator are told in flashbacks.  

The main characters seem disconnected as their stories are presented.  Though most are oblivious to one another, their lives intersect at one place in one point in time in the plot's 

climax. The build-up is intense, making the book a real page-turner."

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a twisty, unpredictable plot and a whole lot of love. The Underneath is a much needed break from all the deja-vu vampire VS werewolf love stories. It tells the beautiful, heart-wrenching story you want with the true definition of love and loyalty. An easy 10/10!!! :D

Book Art

Looking at some book art, none of these are mine, but they're my favorites :)

July Novel Writing Month

Like NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) before it, JulNoWriMo asks its participants to write 50,000 words in 30 days.  Where NaNoWriMo was in November, JulNoWriMo will be in July.

Out of personal experience, 50,000 words in 30 days is easy if you have the brilliant plot and drive to push through the load of procrastination and writers block.

More on JulNoWriMo

BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS:

LIFE, DEATH, AND HOPE IN A MUMBAI UNDERCITY

BY KATHERINE BOO

Anyone still suffering from Slumdog Millionaire detox will find this "non-fiction novel" a good fix. Written from different points of view, it follows the lives of the inhabitants of a Mumbai slum. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Boo actually spent three years living in that same slum herself. Through a superior control of the English language and great tact, the journalist renders the indelicate state of their lives beautiful. Reading, I almost forget that this is actually a documentary on people just living across the ocean. This book is no guilt trip; it leads your mind on a "think trip". Completely unromanticized yet extremely compelling all the same. READ ME!

“[An] exquisitely accomplished first book. Novelists dream of defining characters this swiftly and beautifully, but Ms. Boo is not a novelist. She is one of those rare, deep-digging journalists who can make truth surpass fiction, a documentarian with a superb sense of human drama. She makes it very easy to forget that this book is the work of a reporter. …. Comparison to Dickens is not unwarranted.”  -Janet Maslin, New York Times

Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

"In this historical novel about the pursuit of dreams, Moon Shadow is a young Chinese immigrant who comes to San Francisco at the turn of the century to join his father Windrider, whom he has never met. At first father and son live and work with relatives in the Chinese section of town, but when a man is killed and their lives are endangered, the two move out and make friends with a woman and her granddaughter. The four survive the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, but Moon Shadow and his father are forced to move again. With Moon Shadow's help, Windrider begins to pursue some of his long-held dreams."

AMAZING BOOK! If I saw this at the library, I will most likely not pick it up, but because I had to do a novel study on it, I realized that this novel was completely not how I expected it to be! It had many literary devices and terms, so I sure learned a lot from it. Trust me, this is worth the read if you want to enhance your vocabulary. WARNING: there are a few vulgar words written in the novel. Rating: 9/10

Witch and Wizard - James Patterson

The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

Patterson paints a detailed picture of America taken over by a totalitarian dictator who calls himself "The One Who is The One" with this novel. I think that ANYONE can read this book and still love it! It pulled me in from the first chapter. It is defenintley a page-turner!:)

The two main characters, Wisty and her older brother Wit, were okay. I liked her more then him. At times he felt a little whine and a little to heartbroken. Other then that he was kinda witty, and brave when he needed to be, like his sister.

Overall, I would rate it 4/5, just because the ending was horrible (read and find out) and it wasn't really a memorable book for me. It was good for a light read, but nothing special.

Lock and Key - Sarah Dessen

All of Sarah Dessen's books are very deep and emotional. Tear-wrenching, and they make you think. Lock and Key was one of those books.

It's about a newly orphaned 17-year-old named Ruby, who goes to live with her sister Cora, whom she hasn't seen or contacted for 10 years. Her next door neighbor Nate seems to have it all, but even he is hiding a dark secret. How can Ruby help him when she can't even help herself?

Lock and Key was a great book. It was very down-to-earth, and made you feel for Ruby, who's had a hard life. The only thing I didn't like too much about it, was that it was a bit TOO melodramatic. There's a fine line between beautiful and cheesy, and Dessen crossed it in Lock and Key. There was too much drama, to the point where it was a bit boring.

City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare

 City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare is about the nephilim - half angel, half humans - who work as shadowhunters and protect the human race from demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves, and fey.  This installment of The Mortal Instruments series talks about how Jace Herondale/Lightwood is captured and made a servant of evil.  Though the clave (the nephilim governemnt) has decided there were more important things on their plate then search for a lost shadowhunter, Jace's family continues their search for him.

I would give this novel a 9/10.
There were funny parts, giving a much needed break from the intense action of the novel.  Romance and romantic problems that made you want so desperately to fight for the romance you believe was true.  Then there was real fear, when a problem arose and you couldn't see a way out where your charaters could survive and be happy.
I felt, personally, that the Infernal devices was a better series then this series.  The whole fact that Clary and Jace with their angelic powers and Sebastian with his demonic powers were better then any other shadowhunters bothered me.  There were times when Clary and Jocelyn were so headstrong, you wanted to punch their imaginary face cause they were being so frustrating, because they couldn't see how stupid they were to do the things they did.  Not to mention, I soon got bored with Clary's narrations, but I was easily able to gobble up the parts with Simon and Isabelle, and Magnus and Alec.

I would recommend this novel if you enjoyed novels about the supernatural like Tithe by Holly Black, The Inferna Devices by Cassandra Clare, or Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr.

Canterwood Crest- Book One ~ Take the Reins
By: Jessica Burkhart

Reviewing Novels - Hardcovers.

I was doing a post exam hurricane cleanup, and I decided to write review on all the books I own.  Here goes nothing.

From Top to Bottom:
The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling - I'm not sure if I ever even finished this book, I vaguely remember the story about the orphan boy raised by wolves, or perhaps that's me thinking back to the movie, so I suppose I can't really make a comment about this book, but it's here nonetheless.

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - The Deathly Hallows was amazing, the beginning was a little slow for my taste, but it rapidly escalated to the final battle that concluded the end of a generation.  It was beautiful, and there aren't enough words in the world that could describe the beauty of this series, if you haven't read it, read it, your life will be seriously deprived until you complete this series. Rowling's website if you're interested.
(followed by The Half Blood Prince)

Fallen by Lauren Kate - About a girl (Luce) who has been reborn into the world countless times only to fall in love with the same fallen angel and subsequently die after their affections are realized.  This series was a decent read, there was some high school drama, but most of it centered on the fallen angel and how they worked around her destruction.  The first novel in the series is set in a boarding school for "bad children".  Though the main character are a bit lack luster, the side characters are in comparison extremely entertaining.

Silence by Becca Fitzgerald - The third novel in the series, about a girl who falls in love with a fallen angel, who at first uses her to get his wings back and resume his angel status, they end up caught up in a fight between the nephilim (half angel, half humans) and the fallen angels.  The novel mostly revolves around the intense all consuming love of Nora the protagonist, and Patch the fallen angel, so if you're not into the touchy feel-y love so passionate it consumes you, this isn't for you.

Radiant Shadows and Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr - After Harry Potter, this is my favorite series, about the fairy courts, this series revolves around the kings and queens, Aislinn and Keenan the Summer regents, Donia the winter queen, Irial and Niall Dark court Kings, and the odd human, Seth.  It's so beautifully wrought, no fanciful courtship, mostly just fairy tricks.  I would give this novel a total 10 out of 10, the Dark court regents are my personal favorites.

Misguided Angel, and Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz - Diverging from common novels about vampires, this series originates vampires as fallen angels.  It follows the children of societies elite vampires as they fight against silver bloods - Vampires who hunt other vampires - and their leader the king of hell himself, Lucifer.  I would give this novel a solid 9/10, it was a bit cliche with the high school drama, the queen bee vampire doesn't like other children playing with her toys deal.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano - The Chemical Garden series is about a future earth where a cure for cancer goes wrong, and ends up creating a world where humans only live to 25 for males, and 20 for females.  It's a haunting story about a girl who is caught and subsequently married off to man she's never met to produce heirs and how despite the nearing of her death, she continues to fight for her freedom.  It's an interesting story about freedom, the shortness of life and the things that are the most important.  It's different, and for that I give it a 9.5/10, because this novel, like so many others has a girl who can't choose between two men.

Clockwork Prince and Clock Work Angel by Cassandra Clare - OMG ASUIFHAOIG, I love this series, from Will's snarky comments, to Hodge's social inadequacy, to the dying Jem Carstairs, and Will's demon song in Clockwork prince, this series is a must read, especially if you've read the mortal instruments.  You fall in love with the Jem/Will Bromance, it's amazing, 10/10.

The Athena Project by Brad Thor - I bought this on a whim not sure if it'd be good or not, just knowing that the cover was really pretty.  It's about a band of girls who are the cream of the crop of military personnel as they go on a mission that takes them to a horror no one expects.  It's really cool, I didn't understand much of the terms they used, but you don't need to in order to understand the beauty and strength of these four powerful women.  I sped through this book, ate it for breakfast.  It was brilliant.

What do you want to do before you die by The Buried Life - A coffee table picture book, where amazing artists draw, collage, paint, and capture the dreams of real people.  People who've made a change in the world such as Craig Kielburger, and the guy who started "To Write Love On Her Arms" as well as the cast of the Buried Life share their life changing stories.  It was really cool to look through, and I was amazed at all the different dreams, made me want to do something brilliant and amazing.

Harry Potter Page to Screen by Bob McCabe - How they turned the novels into the movies, not for muggles.  Die Hard fans perhaps, although I doubt the library carries one, and last time I checked you had to fork over $80.  The pictures and the journey though, those are priceless.  Unless you really want one, it was more documentary/interview/biography, then really intensely interesting, I suggest you save your $80, and spend it on something else...like a trip to florida so you can get your own personal wand from Olivanders.

WOO! I did it, one sitting, now onto the paper backs :(

The Borrowers
By: Mary Norton

There's a movie too!

Book websites

I don't know about anyone else, but I like to keep track of my books. It's really helpful with the sites below:


Goodreads: www.goodreads.com If you are already on Goodreads, friend me :) I'm: Ashini. So this is a website where you can keep three well-organized "lists": books you've read, books you're currently reading, and books you want to read (wishlist). I find this extraordinarily helpful when I'm in the mood to read a good book, but I can't remember which ones I had my eye on, or I want to go back and write a review on a book I've already read. In addition, you can rate the books you've read (on a scale of 1-5) and write reviews on the books you like or dislike. You can also "like" and comment on other peoples reviews. You will get personalized book recommendations based on your "read" and "to-read" book lists, and you can can also get recommendations from other Goodreads users. Everyone has their own profile, and you can control what information you choose to share with others. It's extremely organized and helpful and I would highly recommend getting an account. And, yes, it's free! :P Oh, I forgot to mention, they have book "lists" as well, depending on what genre you like. For example, if you are looking for the top 100 YA books of the year, search it up and you will get a list from goodreads on that topic. If you want the top 50 paranormal books, search it up. Same thing with any genre: romance, sci-fi, erotic, anything!


Teenreads: www.teenreads.com I haven't been on this site for very long, so I can't give as stellar a review to this one, but I do enjoy it and think it's a good site to check out once in a while. This site isn't really a site to help you keep organized, but more to give you recommendations as to what to read and what is popular at the moment. So yeah I would give it a try, it might be helpful to you! They also have weekly contests, book reviews, and a blog.

Jinx - Meg Cabot

Before I start talking about Jinx, just want to say that I love Meg Cabot! She is an amazing author, and has written many books for teens including the Princess Diaries series, the Mediater series, the Abandon series and much more! You can see what other books she's written as well as find out more about her here: http://www.megcabot.com/ 
Her genre is chicklit, but sometimes she goes into mystery/crime and drama as well.

Jinx is a teenage girl who seems to have unusually bad luck wherever she goes. Jinx moves to New York City to start fresh and run away from her bad fortune back in her home town, but things are never that easy. Her cousin Tory is getting into a lot of trouble in school and at home, and Jinx finds herself forced to confront the one thing she ran away from.

Jinx is a very good story! It was mysterious and interesting. I have already said I like the writing (I like all of Meg Cabots writing). I would rate it 4/5 just because it didn't have that "something special" that would make me remember it and want to read it again. But it's good for a light read and it's lots of fun- typical "happy ever after ending".

Twilight :)

I really do hope that nobody here needs a description of the plot in Twilight.. I mean if you haven't read the books or at least seen one of the movies you have probably been living under a rock for the past four years. So here goes nothing...

Twilight! I am trying my absolute best not to be biased right now, and just give a straight up review of what I think of the book (not the movie) Twilight. I first read Twilight three years ago, a few months after the movie came out and blew everyones minds. I had high expectations, because others had told me the movie was amazing (I hadn't yet watched it). Honestly, I think it's a good book. It is the book that started paranormal fiction. Before Twilight, there were very few books out about vampires, werewolves and all that. Since then, I have gotten sucked into the paranormal craze and am currently in love with anything paranormal :)

One thing I can say for sure, and I have always said is that the writing is very very good. Stephenie Meyer is a talented woman, and man she can write. It's interesting but also detailed, it's deep but also fun and it's very beautiful at times. I adore the style of writing in Twilight and all Meyer's other books as well. The plot is also quite interesting. AT THE TIME, this was a fairly new genre and AT THE TIME this type of storyline was very unique! When reading Twilight I was thinking, wow! This is incredible. The writing is amazing, the plot is interesting, it really lived up to my expectations.

And then I went and saw the movie... Oh lord. It was horrible. It ruined the whole series for me. I haven't bothered going to see New Moon, Eclipse or Breaking Dawn because I just don't want the other books ruined for me either. The actors were bad; they didn't portray the emotion in the book AT ALL. And even the fight scenes were fake and didn't follow the excitement of the books at all. Agree? Yes, no? And what did you guys think of the Twilight book?

Pottermore

Soo..being the huge Harry Potter fan that I am, I freaked out when I heard out about Pottermore and I made an account right away. I know it's super LG, but just wondering if anyone here is a loser like me? Anyone on Pottermore? :P This is totally random and has nothing to do with book reviews but, yeah just wondering! Annd also..Twilight or Harry Potter? My personal opinion..

Glow - Amy Kathleen Ryan

I'm not including a quote because all the ones I found were boring as hell and way too long. Just like the book itself.

I do not like the writing style at all in glow. Everything was said in SO MUCH DETAIL going on and on and on and it usually was just really dry. Everything was so.. explained. If you get what I'm talking about.. that's a really bad thing! The plot would be interesting if the writing didn't drag on so much. Unfortunately, the book is poorly written, boring and frankly, just plain BAD. Over half of the book seemed like an introduction, with nothing interesting happening at all. Everything that happened in the first half of the book could have been easily guessed from reading the description.

I hated Waverly. I didn't understand any of the decisions she made, starting from when she declined Keiran's marriage request, to when she willingly walked onto the abduction shuttle from the New Horizen and her ending decisions, it didn't make any sense! In my opinion, she is stupid, indecisive and annoying. She didn't draw my sympathies at all.

I couldn't connect with Kieran at all. He wasn't smart, he wasn't sweet, he wasn't cute. The way he was portrayed made me feel like he was powerless and insecure. I mean, he was supposed to be the hero. What the hell was even going on?

A lot of the chapters were just action chapters. Bullets whizzing around, heroines kicking ass, men fighting, people screaming. I don't know if many people agree with me, but too much of that can be really tedious. That on top of the over-explaining writing style was too much. My mind was wandering and my interests were NOT engaged.

I am not reading the sequel for fear of sleeping through it. It was so dry, incredibly boring- just don't read it. Do not be enticed by the fabulous cover.

The Serpent's Shadow - Rick Riordan

The Serpent's Shadow is the last book in the Kane Chronicle trilogy. The series talks of Sadie and Carter Kane, Egyptian magicians and how they're learning to control their powers while restoring Ma'at (order) to the world. And then there's that issue of Apophis, a Chaos snake intent on eating the sun, and destroying the world. In this book, Apophis has risen and doomsday's is in 3 days. As if that's not enough, Sadie and Carter also have to deal with rebel magicians who are determined to kill the Kanes and imprison all their friends. There's one way to destroy the snake, but it's risky, so risky it could kill them.

This book is amazing. It's filled with adventure, magic, and a little bit of romance. I would recommend this book to anyone that was a fan of The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, or a mythology freak in general.

(I probrably have tons of spelling mistakes in here. Sorry.)

The Magic Half
By: Annie Barrows

TEAM UNICORN ALL THE WAY! >:D

- Image courtesy of "skellingt0n" On DeviantArt. 

101 books to read this summer instead of '50 Shades of Grey'

http://www.upworthy.com/101-books-to-read-this-summer-instead-of-50-shades-of-grey?c=ufb1&utm_source=PolicyMic+Newsletter&utm_campaign=5cb2efbb49-New_Newsletter2_29_2012&utm_medium=email

Favorite books =)

Heyy :) So I just wrote a bunch of book reviews, and I'm getting tired of them, so I decided to write something a bit different. I saw someone had done a list of "MUST READS" a while ago, and I thought I would make a list of my favorite books of the past couple years. Hopefully, it will help people choose new books to read for the rest of the summer or re-read favorites that they have already read. So here it is... 

1. Hex Hall series - Rachel Hawkins. This is a paranormal series about a girl with demonic powers who attends a school for "special people" (witches, faries, werewolves, vampires). She falls in love with a boy who turns out to be...not what she expected. And she finds out something shocking about her mother and out-of-touch father. Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5287473-hex-hall

2. Delirium series - Lauren Oliver. I have already written a review on this series, you can go check it out here: http://rplteensrc.blogspot.ca/2012/06/delirium-lauren-oliver.html It's about a world where love is considered a disease. And the protagonist falls in love. It's a book of her love story, sneaking around, and what happens when you get caught. Love the writing style in this book. Deserves much praise.

Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7686667-delirium

3. Uglies series - Scott Westerfeld. This series is a bit old now, but still amazing. If you haven't read it, you are missing out! This is about a world where things are divided into two sides: Ugly side, and Pretty side. Everyone is ugly until they turn sixteen, when they get an operation to perfect their features and change their brain so they no longer have any willpower. But protagonist Tally and her best friend Shay won't go along so easily. It is AMAZING! New, interesting, exciting with a powerful message. Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24770.Uglies

4. Matched series - Ally Condie. I did a review on the first book. Go there for a summary (I'm getting lazy): http://rplteensrc.blogspot.ca/2012/06/matched-ally-condie.html It's really good though, so definetely check it out.

Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7735333-matched

5. Mortal Instruments series - Cassandra Clare. Dive into a supernatural world of shadowhunters, underworlders, faries and more! Clary thought she was a normal girl. Then she finds out her mother is a shadowhunter (fights evil demons) and her world is turned upside down. She fights, laughs, cries, and falls in love. Check out Clary's story here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256683.City_of_Bones

6. Darkness Rising series - Kelly Armstrong. I did a review of this one too: http://rplteensrc.blogspot.ca/2012/06/calling-kelly-armstrong.html That's the second book in the series. The first is called "The Gathering". So, yeah, read my review for the summary. Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7896345-the-gathering

7. Divergent series - Veronica Roth. Christened "The New Hunger Games". Society is divided into 5 factions: the peaceful ones, the risk takers etc, etc. Interesting, unique. Link: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306857-divergent

There it is. I have a lot more, but I am getting tired (this took a LOOONG time) and my paragraphs are getting crappy. Hope this helped people decide what to read! Btw, there is a short summary at the link that I posted with each title. Have fun reading.



Fallen - Lauren Kate

Okayyy - Fallen. I know I always say this about books, but this was the best book I have ever read. In my life. Ever. Loved it. Mysterious, dazzling, brilliant, aloof, romantic, thrilling, engaging, sad...it was beautiful.
~Me (because all the other quotes I found were bashing the book)

Somehow, I don't know why, this book has gotten HORRIBLE reviews from a lot of people on many different websites. It was compared to Twilight, people saying it has the same plot and storyline just different characters. I could not disagree more.

The writing isn't anything special. Pretty basic, not different from any others, but it's not bad either.

So here's the plot: Luce (protagonist) falls in love with the aloof bad boy Daniel who attends her boarding school in Georgia. She soon realizes that he is hiding a huge secret, and she resolves to find out what it is, no matter what it costs her. So it turns out Daniel is a fallen angel. And the story goes from there. It is pretty typical, pretty much the same story as Hush Hush, but it was well written and interesting. I read both books that came out after Fallen and they were equally as interesting.

So contrary to public opinion, I would recommend reading Fallen and making your own opinion as to whether you think it's just following the lead of Twilight and Hush Hush or a good story :) I think it's both. I do not, however, agree with people who say it is a disgusting, horrible, boring story - it's not. I would appreciate feedback from other people on this site. If you have read this book, what did you think of it? Just curious :)

Heist Society - Ally Carter

"Either we're a team or we aren't. Either you trust me or you don't. "Hale took a step toward her. "What's it going to be, Kat?"~ Hale, Heist Society

Okay, so I read Heist Society quite a while ago (almost a year ago, I think) but I remember loooving it so I wanted to do a review. :) It is by Ally Carter, author of the Gallager Girls series (I'd tell you I love you but then I'd have to kill you; Only the good spy young). She is an amazing writer with captivating plotlines, so I was obviously very excited to read her new series Heist Society. On her website and in many libraries, it is classified as an "adult book" but I found it in the teen section at RPL so I tried it out. It was amazing, and in my opinion perfectly suitable for teen readers.

The book is a crime story about a teenage spy and thief (protagonist Katarina Bishop) who goes on a mission to rescue a stolen art collection. It is hilarious and interesting, going into the mind of a thief who is on the good side. A new take on the crime genre. I loved it, and I'm sure others will too.

The only problem with this book is that the end is a bit confusing. If you read the book, you will understand what I mean. Ally Carter likes to leave people hanging at the end of her stories, and Heist Society is no different. The ending is very mysterious and therefore, confusing. I wasn't entirely sure what was going on at the end of the story which kind of ruined the fabulous story for me. I found that's what happened with the Gallager Girls series as well.

So, yeah. That's pretty much it. I would be able to read the book again without getting bored. Go pick it up at the library and read it :) It will be a worthwhile read! P.S. I'm sorry for the odd picture placement - it wouldn't stay at the top.. technology -.-

City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare

“For a moment, Clary wasn’t sure if Isabelle was talking to her or to the cat. Church was doing what he often did when dropped - Laying on his back with all four legs in the air, pretending ot be dead in order to induce guilt in his owners.”

- City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare.

Hush Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

"All this time I've hated myself for it. I thought I'd given it up for nothing. But if I hadn't fallen, I wouldn't have met you."   - Patch, Hush Hush

I have rather conflicting opinions on Hush Hush. On one hand, I'm telling myself it is just another typical supernatural teenage love story (because it is). But on the other hand, I am remembering how amazing I thought the book was while reading it (because it was). So I'm not sure what to tell you, because I'm not sure which opinion outweighs the other. Let me explain myself a bit better...

Hush Hush is about a normal girl (Nora Grey) who falls for a dark, mysterious, hot (of course), guy (Patch) who seems to have many deep, dark secrets. And she finds out that he is really a fallen angel. A fallen angel who might just be the key to ending the long-lasting war between good and evil. A war that Nora never was a part of...until she starts dating Patch. So there's the plot. It's obvious, it's typical, it's just like all the other supernatural books that have become oh so popular after Twilight. That's what I keep telling myself.

But there was something special about Hush Hush. Something the other books didn't have. That's why it is one of the most popular teen books today. That is why teens all over the world are reading it and loving it. Maybe it's the language used (it's powerful), or maybe just the characters. I mean, who can resist lovable Nora or secretive Patch. I fell in love with them both from the start.

So I would recommend this book. It was fantabulous. But if your tired of those typical supernatural romancy type books, this one is not for you.

Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

I very much enjoyed "Clockwork Angel". I had my doubts starting the story, thinking it would just be the same as the Mortal Instruments series, but I had no reason to worry. "Clockwork Angel" is new and fresh and just as wonderful and thrilling as the Mortal Instruments was. Tessa comes to London in search of her brother, only to find that he has been kidnapped by the evil Dark Sisters. She quickly learns about an entirely different world of shadowhunters, nephilim and downworlders, and finds out that she might not be entirely human. The story is set in the past which I was originaly not excited about because that can sometimes be quite boring, but in this particular book it just adds to the tone and mood of the book. It was a really good story, a nice light read.

Graceling - Kristin Cashore

           I first read this book for an English assignment last October. Originally, I didn't like it at all. I thought the plot was predictable and the style of writing boring. Of course, this may have been because I was forced to read the book for English class. Then I found that the book had become popular, and that many people my age were reading it and giving it stunning reviews.
            So I re-read the book. The second time through, I was able to appreciate the unique plot a little bit more, but I still didn't love it. I think the book was good in that it was unique and exciting, but I also found that there were many paragraphs that dragged on and on. There were many parts that could be said in less words to make the book more interesting and fast paced. I also did not like the way Cashore wrote the book. I believe tender parts should be tender, using more emotional language and fights should be full of anger and strong words. I just didn't find that at all in the story. Overall, it was a bit lacking. Not a bad book, but not particularly good either.

Delirium - Lauren Oliver

LOVED IT!! I would rate it 84910872347238975918 out of 10. I truly believe that if you have not read this book, you have not experienced life. Delirium unique in a special way. It is a dystopian love story unlike any romance or dystopian book I have ever read before. Lauren Oliver is a talented, talented writer who can capture an audience of any age within the first page. Her style of writing is beautiful, and allows one to picture the moment perfectly. The plot itself is enough to make me love it - a girl is trapped in her town, controlled by the harsh laws of the future which state that love is a disease and should be prevented at all costs. So, of course, she falls in love with a hot, sweet, amazing guy. And, of course, they get caught by the town. I won't give away the ending, but I will say it was unexpected and left me in tears. A must read!!

Matched - Ally Condie

Imagine living in a society where "officials" control your every move. What you eat, where you go, when you die, who you love; it's all decided for you. Well that's the kind of life 17-year-old Cassia Reyes lives, and she's happy with it. Until the day of her matching ceremony, until she finds out the truth. Cassia always knew that on the day of her matching ceremony (the day she turned 17) she would be matched with the boy who was most compatible with her. There was no question about it. Whether they knew each other or not, they would get married and have children and spend their life happily listening to the 100 permitted songs and watching the 100 permitted movies. Cassia is matched with her best friend Xander- but when she begins to watch the CD with all her match information on it, another face pops up. The dark, mysterious Ky. Two matches - unheard of. The officials work hard to console her, but Cassia is determined to find out what is going on. And along the way, she finds herself falling in love with Ky, her childhood friend. Matched was one of the best books I have ever read. I enjoyed every little bit of it, and cannot wait for the next book to come out. This triology brings a unique plot to readers, something they (or at least I) have never seen before. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. 10/10 read.

The Calling - Kelly Armstrong

"The Calling" is the second book in Kelly Armstrong's AMAZING "The Darkness Rising" triology. The first book (The Gathering) was spectacular, and "The Calling" was even better. Protagonist Maya Delany, Rafe, and their friends are forced to flee the small secluded town where they live due to a deliberately set forest fire. Maya is forced to run for her life, away from the people who want to kidnap and maybe kill her for reasons unknown to her. In "The Calling", Armstrong begins to tie in the currently popular supernatural fiction genre into her story, revealing that the Maya is really a "skin-walker" (werewolf). "The Calling" is mysterious, surprising, sad, exciting and romantic all in one. I could not put it down once I began reading it - I would definetely recommend it to others, especially those who liked books like "The Hunger Games", "The Darkest Powers Triology" and "Hush Hush".

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri is about a governess named Nicola Vileroy who preys upon five children's weaknesses, and ambitions.  She gives them each a special gift so that they have an advantage over the other children.  The children, ignoring the consequences of their gifts continue to use them to pursue their obsessions until two of the five discover the truth behind their gifts and their supposed adoption as children.

At first I found this book to be a little dry, too much typical teenage high school drama, but as the novel progressed it got darker and darker.  The characters were stereotypical, a bookworm, an ambitious teen, a vain pretentious girl, the high school jock, and the angsty poet.  Despite this the authors were able to make the reader fear the governess as she became greedier and as two of the children came closer and closer to the truth.  I would give this book a 7.5 out of 10 for the trapped nightmarish theme that burned through the novel and made you fear for your favorite characters.

An Abundance of Katherines - John Green

I've already said it a million and one times, but the need to tag it onto every post about his novels is always there in the back of my min.  John Green is a literary genius.  An Abundance of Katherines (AAOK) is no exception to the brilliance of his work.  AAOK revolves around a late teen whose experience in the relationship field consists of nineteen girls named Katherine.  Heartbroken from being dumped by Katherine the 19th (K-19) The protagonist Colin goes on a road trip with his friend Hassan only to end up in a backwards town claiming to house the dead body of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.  Like all his books, he delves into the deepest parts of the characters lives but brings to the table an unexpected humor, enough that stifling laughter is just not an option.

Looking For Alaska - After.

Upon completing the "after" portion of Looking for Alaska by John Green, I have to revert my previous statement.  John Green is a author with the potential to trump all other authors, however, he is also the King of tragedy, I won't post spoilers, but the fact of it is, Green is to sinking ships, what Game of Thrones is to killing off all the characters.
This title however, doesn't take away from the literary genius that is this man, he's brutally honest in every book breaking things down conflicts to it's simplest  form and then rebuilding them keeping an odd simplicity while carrying another deeper dimension.  His writing makes you both envious and enamored with him.
Typing this up in the first few minutes after completing the novel, I would give this a 9/10 with 10 being the best, for the simple originality that the young adult section severely lacks.  Furthermore I would highly recommend this to everyone and anyone, it's an easy enough read, and changes your perspective on the world.

Looking For Alaska - Before.

In the novel Looking For Alaska by John Green, the novel is split into two parts, before Alaska, the protagonist's love interest, and after Alaska.  Upon concluding the before, I've determined two things one, Alaska is one crazy, moody, and spontaneous girl, and two. John Green is the writer that trumps all other writers.
Looking for Alaska is about a scrawny teenage boy who transfers to a boarding school where upon he meets the ever beautiful, ever spontaneous Alaska Young.  Alaska, and Miles (Pudge) Halter and their friends spend the school year living normal teenage lives, with the exception of the pranks.  They are so out of hand and genius it's impossible not to catch the adrenaline the characters carry with them in the book as they carry out their individual tasks

Blackout Poetry

Test The Test - by Me
(I had to alter it a bit and blow it up huge so that the words would actually show. XD)

Did you guys ever have a teacher that gave you a big, fat permanent marker and a newspaper, then told you to circle the words that you liked? This is essentially the same concept. :)
After reading "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon, I discovered a website that payed ode to his other book, "Newspaper Blackout". I haven't read it, but after seeing all the cool poems, I REALLY want to. :)
Website link: http://newspaperblackout.com/ <--------Check it out! :D
Here's some of my favorites (they're horoscopes the author wrote):

Here's some of my favorites from the other users:

Mark Bridge -

Jenn365 -

neekaisweird -

Saving Francesca, Melina Marchetta

I picked up “Saving Francesca” looking for a cute, chick-lit book to read before I started on a mystery/horror title, but found myself caught in a humorous, yet depressing book.

Francesca is just starting her eleventh year in high school at a completely different institution than her friends, St Sebastian's. However, the high school just recently became a co-ed school and the majority of its population is dominated by males. She misses her old school, St Stella, but learns that new friends will be essential for the rest of her career at St Sebastian’s. With only 30 female students, Francesca has slim pickings for new friends – and those interested, are all former St Stella outcasts. Those she used to ignore and ridicule, the hopelessly nerdy girl, St Stella’s psychotic feminist and the promiscuous show-off are the only ones who can get her through the tough days that lie ahead. On top of her transfer, her strong-minded mother has a mental breakdown, becoming severely ill and bed-ridden.  Who will save Francesca and bring her life back together again?

I’ll admit, this book is funny – this was my favorite aspect of the book and what kept me going until I finished. I laughed quite a bit at many of the Shakespeare references, for example this one about Macbeth:

“Why do you get to say, ‘The raven himself is hoarse that croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan, ‘ and I get to say, ‘Fly, Fleance, Fly’?”
-Thomas to Francesca about his role as Banquo

However, the ‘touching’ scenes with her family didn’t make me feel anything until the last thirty or so pages. The mother was a great character – it goes to show that even the strongest people can break down, but her father was what one would call an enabler. He kept her in her sickness by pretending everything was ok when it most certainly wasn’t, he was slowly destroying the family. The other characters weren’t the most realistic (they were a little bit TOO animated), but I still liked them enough. Will Trombal and Francesca seemed the most authentic to me, and I didn’t despise their romance, but I wasn’t necessarily spazzing about a pairing as much as I wanted to.

I think maybe the reason why I didn’t fall in love with this book is because I wanted a girly book to read today, but “Saving Francesca” is neither a ‘happy’ book, nor a ‘sad’ book – its somewhere in between the two. The humour definitely made me enjoy it though! I read this book in one sitting; it’s only 240-ish pages, so it’s a short read if anyone wants to try it out. :D

Final Verdict: 7.5 - 8.0/10

Acceleration by Graham Mcnamee

"It’s a hot, hot summer, and in the depths of the Toronto Transit Authority’s Lost and Found, 17-year-old Duncan is cataloging lost things and sifting through accumulated junk. And between Jacob, the cranky old man who runs the place, and the endless dusty boxes overflowing with stuff no one will ever claim, Duncan’s just about had enough. Then he finds a little leather book. It’s a diary filled with the dark and dirty secrets of a twisted mind, a serial killer stalking his prey in the subway. And Duncan can’t make himself stop reading.

What would you do with a book like that? How far would you go to catch a madman?

And what if time was running out. . . ."


Accelerating novel and was one of the best books I've ever read ! Filled with suspense and mystery, I completely enjoyed reading this book. Each page brought the characters and action to life. I would recommend this book to anyone and I would rate it 9/10 ! 

Holes by Louis Sachar

"Stanley Yelnats was given a choice. The judge said, "You may go to jail, or you may go to Camp Green Lake." Stanley was from a poor family. He had never been to camp before."
I found this novel very unique in it's own way, yet funny.  Poor Stanley was punished for a crime he did not commit. He had a choice though... but he chose to go to Camp Green Lake. There he met some friends and got accepted to their group. Each day they were to dig holes 5 feet deep and 5 feet wide in the blazing sun's heat to punish them for their actions. This punishment was made by the warden to help them "build character", but behind the truth.. there was more than that. Not only were they just digging holes, but they were helping the warden find something valuable to her. The benefits only came to her.. Soon Stanley discovers this truth and decides to search for it himself. Day after day, the weather just seems to get warmer and warmer.. will the boys make it out there or will they end up in the hospital like another one had?
 I would rate this novel a 9/10 because I found it very humorous and interesting to read and it sure taught me things I did not know.

How to steal a dog by Barbara O'Connor

"Half of me was thinking, Georgina, don’t do this. Stealing a dog is just plain wrong. The other half of me was thinking, Georgina, you’re in a bad fix and you got to do whatever it takes to get yourself out of it.
 
Georgina Hayes is desperate. Ever since her father left and they were evicted from their apartment, her family has been living in their car. With her mama juggling two jobs and trying to make enough money to find a place to live, Georgina is stuck looking after her younger brother, Toby. And she has her heart set on improving their situation. When Georgina spots a missing-dog poster with a reward of five hundred dollars, the solution to all her problems suddenly seems within reach. All she has to do is “borrow” the right dog and its owners are sure to offer a reward. What happens next is the last thing she expected. 
 
With unmistakable sympathy, Barbara O’Connor tells the story of a young girl struggling to see what’s right when everything else seems wrong. "


This was a good read and brings sympathy for foster people. I thought that this book had a great meaning to it, but not a very exciting plot. I would rate this novel a 7/10.

MUST READS

Seeing as some people have been asking for book recommendations, I have painstakingly gone through the books I own and a list of books I WANT to own. Let me warn you, that list was 3 typed up pages in 10 point font. I shudder in horror to think that my personal library hasn’t reached the 200 mark yet. I DID pass the 125 milestone, though… Here is my list of MUST READS, GOT-TO READS, and READ-THIS-BECAUSE-IF-YOU-DON’T-YOU’LL-HAVE-MISSED-OUT-ON-EVERYTHING!!!!

For the historical fiction nuts out there:

• The Luxe Series, by Anna Godberson—because you can’t live without scandalous Manhattan socialites living in 1899.
• The Secret Countess, by Eva Ibbotson—because we all wish we knew someone like the protagonist, Anna Grazinsky, a Russian duchess in disguise post World War I, pretending to be a lowly servant in Britain to make money for her fallen family and manages to charm everyone around her.
• Vixen, by Jillian Larkin—who DOESN’T wish they’d been living in the 1920’s? Flappers, mysteries, and newly found freedom, OH MY!

For those of us that KNOW the surreal goes on in the real world :

• The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel Series, by Michael Scott—you will cry like a heart-wrenched pirate who lost his treasure after reading all the books. 
• Inkheart Trilogy, by Cornelia Funke—this is every reader’s dream: to have the words they’re reading COME TO LIFE. That’s all I’ll say about that.
• Elsewhere, by Gabrielle Zevin—this book is all about growing backwards. Yep. Growing but the other way around… so isn’t that shrinking? This will keep you mind boggled until long after you’ve read the book. 

Books-that-don’t-fit-under-just-one-category-so-I-put-them-all-in-this-big-one:

• Bitterblue, by Kristin Cashore—for those of that have already read Graceling and Fire, I don’t need to explain the utter awesomeness of this book. For those of you that haven’t: this is the sort of high fantasy book with 18-year old queens meets revolutionary world meets mystery to be solved meets SHEER AWESOMESAUCEYNESS that is hard to pass by.
• Evil Genius, by Catherine Jinks—because all sparklers have an inner geek that is waiting to be unleashed.
• The Wolf Tower Series (also known as The Claidi Journals), by Tanith Lee—post-apocalyptic worlds for the win! Servant girl escapes. Servant girl must survive desert-wasteland all while trying to wrap her mind around the fact that The House she has lived in her whole life is not the last place on Earth with humans. Drama ensues in which a foreign prince may or may not have chosen her to be his bride and she may or may not find out that people she used to work for have been planning her “escape” all along.
• Poison, by Chris Wooding—a book for all you avid readers out there because we ALL have asked ourselves, at some point in our lives, whether or not we are just characters from a book and someone is writing about us/reading about us… mysterious? I think so.
• The Triskelia Trilogy, by Carrie Mac—more of the post-apocalyptic world that has resorted to life like in the Dark Ages but better because different parts of the world control the weather and there is a circus involved—frankly, anything with a circus in it has one word flashing: FUN.
• The Protector of the Small Quartet, by Tamora Pierce—if you haven’t read anything by this author then you have missed out. You  will now rush to the library to read about Keladry of Mindelan, the only girl (after the Princess Alanna) to dare to become a Lady Knight in a world filled with men, magic, and plots to stop girls from trying to pursue their dreams.